Game involving manipulation of a suspended object by



Sept. 24, 1963 R D GROSS 3,104,877

GAME INVOLVING MANIPULATEON OF A SUSPENDED OBJECT BY BODILY MOVEMENTS OF COOPERATING PLAYERS Filed March 27, 196].

nwavraz Fflfifff 1 671 065 3,104,877 GAME INVOLVING MULATEON OF A SUS- PENDED OBJECT BY BODILY MOVENLENTS OF COOPERATING PLAYERS Robert D. Gross, 426 S. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, Mo. Filed Mar. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 98,378 3 Claims. ((31. 273-95) This invention relates to a device for amusement and exercise, and more specifically to a device which is adapted to be opera-ted jointly by two people for their own amusement or the amusement of others, which requires a large degree of cooperation, mutual coordination of muscular control and timing to achieve necessary combined and simultaneous body movements for successful participation in what might be termed the game involved in the use of this device.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a device for amusement and exercise.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple amusement device which requires participation by two people.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple amusement device which may be used in team competition.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following detailed description which is in such :full, clear and exact terms as will enable anyone to make and use the same when taken with the illustrations in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the detailed description and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view illustrating a device constructed in accordance wu'th a preferred embodiment of this invention; and

FIGURES 2 and 3 are operational views illustrating one way of using the device shown in FIGURE 1.

According to this invention, one or more pendant members are attached to a support intermediate the ends thereof and arranged for pendulation and revolution relative to the support. The support is adapted to be held in near horizontal position between the bodies of two people by pressure exerted in opposite directions against opposite ends of the support so that the pendant member .or members is or are suspended for movement in an orbit between the bodies of the two people. By manipulating their bodies in proper coordination, it is possible to start the pendant member or members swinging back and forth about the support as an axis; and then by properly increasing the amplitude, the tempo and/or the quirk of body movement together, cause the pendant member or members to revolve about the support. Preferably, the pendant member is flexible, but weighted at the end remote from the support and attached securely (i.e., nonrotatably) to the support so that it will wind-up on the support during rotation. When the pendant members are finally wound up on the support, the game may be termed completed. On the other hand, if the pendant member be loosely attached to the support (i.e., so as to permit relative rotation at the connection) rather than winding-up on, it will go into circular or near circular orbit about, the support; and in such case, it is easier to accomplish the result if the pendant member be stiff rather than flexible. To complete the game is a difiicult feat and one not easily accomplished, especially if certain rules are adopted which prevent the participants from using their hands or moving their feet. It can also be provided that if one of the parties or participants allows the support to slip and fall, he or she is immediately disqualified; but as it is ofittimes diflicult to pin the blame on one participant, it is preferred, at least where there are numerous participants, either to disqualify the atent O 3,104,877 Patented Sept. 24, 1963 team, or to give each team three strikes before disqualifying them. Under such rules, it will be readily appreciated that participation in the game involves considerable exercise, skill and coordination, and provides amusement galore, not only for the participants, but also for onlookers.

Referring now to the illustration in FIGURE 1, therein is shown a stick-like support, such as A, having at its opposite end abutment parts of larger area, such as B and C. Suspended from the support A between the abutments is a pendant member, or element, D, to the free end of which is secured :a rubber ball, or other weighted member, E. Pendant member D is preferably a string supporting the rubber ball E, and this string D is preferably tied securely to the support A at P, so that as the pendant member rotates around the support, it will be wound up thereon.

The abutment parts B and C may be eliminated, but, for the sake of bodily comfort to the participants, particularly beginners and amateurs, something to spread the oppositely directed gripping force over an area larger than the cross-section of support A is desirable. Preferably, the parts B and 'C have cushioning properties, or at least some flexibility. While such parts may be made in any of a great variety of forms, they are shown in a form resembling a familiar household article, known colloquially as a pl-umbers best friend, a feature which adds a measure of fascination and levity to the device. For example, the element B has a suction cup of rubber, indicated as B1, and a rubber ferrule, such as B2, in tegral thereto, into which the support A may be inserted. Suction cup element C has :a rubber cup element C1 and an integral rubber ferrule C2, into which the other end of the support A is inserted.

Support A is preferably a rod of wood or plastic and more or less rigid, but it is also contemplated that the support A be elastically bendable (bu-t not limp) which, of course, makes the game more difficult, and hence attractive to players who have mastered the stiff version.

Operation In operating this amusement device, two people stand face to face and insert the support A between them in such a manner that the support A is in a near horizontal position, all as shown in FIGURE 2, for example. If the persons are of approximately the same height, the cushion members B and C can be arranged to engage against their respective torsos at any height desired. If the participants, however, are not of the same height, the horizontal position of the support A would cause the cushion members B and C to engage different portions of the torso of the respective participants, all of which makes the game more difficult. According to FIGURE 2, the participants are approximately the same height, and the cushion members B and C engage approximately corresponding positions on each :of the participants torsos. In this position of the device, the game is commenced. Without moving the feet or using the hands, the support A is moved bodily by coordinated movement of the torsos of the two participants to produce an initial swinging of the pendant member D back and forth about support A as the axis. The initiation of the swinging movement involves merely a rocking back and forth of the torsos of the participants simultaneously. This is a relatively simple movement and one easily mastered, but the succeeding movements necessary to cause the pendant member to revolve about or wind up on the support A is not so simple, because it requires a carefully coordinated change in the tempo, the amplitude, and/or the quirk of the participants body movements; and, as the pendant member shortens by winding upon the support A, such coordination must undergo continual change. Once the swinging orbit of the pendant member D has increased to the maximum amplitude, a reverse jerk of coordinated body movement, at the proper instant, sends the pendant member D into circular, or near-circular, orbit. This achievement may beconsidered the end of the game for the beginners class.

For more advanced players, the game may be continued to see how long it takes each team to fully windup the pendant member D on the support A; or, if the connection between the pendant member and the support be loose so that it does not wind-up, to see how long each team can keep it in circular orbit.

In either event, to get the pendant member into circular, or near-circular, orbit requires a change from a swaying movement of the torsos of the participants into a more or less coordinated circular motion of the torsos of both participants. Then, as the pendant member I) winds up on the support A, the tempo of circular movement must be increased to keep in harmony with the rotational speed of the pendant member, otherwise it will not continue to rotate, and the initial movements necessary to start the rotation will have to be repeated. During a game, this may happen several times. It can be provided, however, that as soon as the pendant member D is fully wound on the support A, the 'game is completed. Then if desired to hold the interest of participants who have mastered the game to the degree just described, they may be given a bonus score it they succeed in reversing the operation and unwinding.

The motions described above, and their efiects upon the pendant member D, are illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3. Thus, in FIGURE 2, a swaying motion of the torsos of the participants produces the initial swing. In FIGURE 3, however, this motion has been changed to a circular motion in order to keep the pendant member D and the ball E rotating around the support A.

While the drawings illustrate the use of the device with the players facing each other, it should be understood that when the players have achieved the degree of mastery over the game that renders it unappealing to them in that position, their interest in it may be rejuvenated by attempting to play it with the support sustained between their respective back-sides. This is extremely difiicult, but not impossible, particularly when the .game is played to the accompaniment of music.

From what has been said hereinbefore, it should be apparent that the invention accomplishes its objects, and provides an amusement and exercising device which has appeal to both young and old irrespective of sex, and is highly entertaining not only to the participants, but to onlookers, more especially when one or more of the participants is a female and the onlookers are male. Moreover, even when the game is played in private with the participants of opposite sex, it is not only exhilarating, but also has portent for other desiderata.

Changes in and modifications of the construction described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of cooperatively exercising and entertaining people by means of a device having a cross bar and a weight pendantly supported from the cross bar intermediate its ends for free rotation about the axis of the bar, wherein two persons place the cross bar between them with the opposite ends thereof pressed toward each other to an extent sufficient to maintain the cross bar in engagement with the torsos of the respective persons and at an elevation such that the pendant member is free to swing about the cross bar as an axis, and said persons move their torsos with a rocking movement to swing the pendant member about the cross bar.

2. The process of cooperatively exercising and entertaining people by means of a device having a cross bar and a weight pendantly supported trom the cross bar intermediate its ends for swinging movement about the bar, wherein the cross bar is placed between two persons with opposite ends thereof pressed toward each other to an extent sufficient to maintain the cross bar in engagement wi-th'the torsos of the respective persons and at an elevation such that when the pendant member is hanging freely, it is above the level of the surface supporting said persons, and said persons move their torsos with a rocking movement to swing the pendant member about the cross bar.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein there is interposed between the respective torsos and the ends of the cross bar a cushion of substantially greater perimeter than that of the cross bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1'). 169,246 Eisenberg Apr. 7, 1953 1,858,145 Pelardo May 10, 1932 1,978,499 Loveridge Oct. 30, 1934 2,414,063 kogers Jan. 7, 1947 2,500,253 Kimple Mar. 14, 1950 2,807,117 Davies Sept. 24, 1957 2,956,369 .Rolin Oct. 18, 1960 2,982,549 Libow May 2, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 419,649 Germany Oct. 9, 1925 

2. THE PROCESS OF COOPERATIVELY EXERCISING AND ENTERTAINING PEOPLE BY MEANS OF A DEVICE HAVING A CROSS BAR AND A WEIGHT PENDANTLY SUPPORTED FROM THE CROSS BAR INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT ABOUT THE BAR, WHEREIN THE CROSS BAR IS PLACED BETWEEN TWO PERSONS WITH OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF PRESSED TOWARD EACH OTHER TO AN EXTENT SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE CROSS BAR IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TORSOS OF THE RESPECTIVE PERSONS AND AT AN ELEVATION SUCH THAT WHEN THE PENDANT MEMBER IS HANGING 